Shepherd’s pie

Let’s face it: It’s cold out there. And although it’s a new year and you’re probably trying to eat healthier, sometimes the best remedy to cure that chill in the air is a rich, delicious comfort food dish.

And an even better remedy is when this dish is a one pot wonder, meaning all of your ingredients get thrown into one dish–which not only helps with easy clean up, but also allows you to get the “perfect bite” in one scoop.

This recipe for traditional shepherd’s pie comes from the Food Network. I did some slight tweaking like swapping the ground lamb for ground beef and adding a bit more veggies. Feel free to use whatever ingredients you like best. For me, as long as those mashed potatoes are silky smooth, nothing else matters!

SHEPHERD’S PIE
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1½ pounds russet potatoes
¼ cup half-and-half
2 ounces unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg yolk

For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
¾ cup frozen corn kernels
¾ cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into a ½-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender and easily pierced with a fork, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander, and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes, and then add the half-and-half, butter, salt, and pepper, and continue to mash until smooth. Then stir in the yolk until well combined.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onion and carrots, and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine.
6. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Then, add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
7. Add the corn and peas to the ground beef mixture and spread evenly into a glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, and starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up, smooth with a rubber spatula.
8. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, put it in the oven, and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the potatoes begin to brown.
9. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.